Burner carrier for flame cultivators



n 16, 1964 J. w. GOTCHER, SR.. ETAL 3,137,289

BURNER CARRIER FOR FLAME CULTIVATORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 26, 1962 INVENTORS. James UJ- Gai'chqSr- BY J'arnes LU. Go-f'aheg-Tn Z2 I HF/ornaqs une 16. 4 J. WRGOTCHER, SR, ERI'AL BURNER CARRIER FOR FLAME CULTIVATORS Filed Oct. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H'ffornc l United States Patent 3,137,289 BURYER CARRIER FOR FLAME CULTIVATORS James W. 'Gotcher, Sr., and James W. Gotcher, Jr., both of P.O. Box 721, Clarksdale, Miss. Filed Oct. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 233,253 1 Claim. (Cl. 126271.2)

This invention relates to carriers for the burners of flame cultivators.

In apparatus for flame cultivation of crops, burners are mounted on supporting members which are towed from the forward end and are equipped with ground engaging skids or wheels at the rearmost end. As heretofore constructed these burner carriers have generally consisted of lengths of tubing or the like which have a generally downwardly directed portion and then a more or less vertical portion to which the skid is pivotally mounted. As heretofore constructed the carriers have tended to gyrate or oscillate about the skid, thus misdirecting the burners with respect to the row crops to be flame cultivated. The tendency to oscillate or gyrate about the skid has resulted from the fact that the line of pull in the prior carriers has been below the center of gyration and center of gravity of the carriers as a whole.

Heretofore, burner carriers have also been designed which have generally consisted of lengths of tubing or similar structural members which have been basically straight and proceeded direct from the uppermost attached point diagonally downwardly to a ground engaging means at the lower end. Upon the substantially straight member, brackets were attached at intervals for burner adjusting arms. These brackets necessarily were not on a substantially horizontal location and therefore could not be adjusted with the simplicity and rigidity of the burner carrier to be described.

In view of the foregoing a prime object of our invention is to provide an improved carrier for the burners of flame cultivators which shall be stable as it is towed along, namely, stable in the sense that it does not tend to wobble from side to side or tend to rotate on an axis drawn parallel to the ground and passing directly through the attaching portion of the skid shoe.

Another object of our invention is to provide the carrier with a central, generally horizontal section to which the burners may be attached, thereby simplifying the attachment of the burners and holding them always in proper relation to the ground and to the crops being flamed.

Briefly, our invention embodies a carrier which may be in the form of a tubular member or the like. The carrier has an upwardly directed forward end, a generally horizontal central portion and a downwardly inclined rear portion. The skid shoe is attached to the lower end of the rearmost section. The forward end is attached for towing as will be explained. As viewed in side elevation, a line drawn through the extreme ends of our improved carrier passes approximately through the center of gyration, and approximately through the center of gravity of the carrier as a whole. Thus, some portions of our improved carrier lie above such imaginary line, and other portions lie below the same. Therefore,the line of effective pull relative to the center of gravity and natural center of gyration is in such relation that the whole carrier is stabilized against rocking or wobbling.

Apparatus illustrating features of our invention is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of our improved carrier; and

7 FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, partly broken away and in section, and showing two carriers.

that the manifold pipe forms a 3,137,289 Patented June 16, 1964 Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of ourinvention, we show the same as embodying the carrier C which may be in theform of a pipe or tube. At A we illustrate a manifold pipe which also serves as a tow attachment for the carrier C, it being understood part of other portions of the flame cultivator, not shown.

The carrier C comprises an upwardly directed forward portion 10, a central horizontal portion 11, and a rear,

downwardly directed portion 12. At the upper end of the forward portion 10 we provide a tube 13 which slidably receives a rod 14. The rod 14 in turn is secured to a cross member 16 pivotally mounted in the side arms 17 of a-lifting or hoist bracket. It will be understood that the hoist bracket is non-rotatably secured to the manifold pipe A by means of nuts and bolts 18. Furthermore, and as is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1, there is secured to the manifold A an arm 19 to which is attached the piston rod 21 of a fluid pressure cylinder 22. Extension of the piston rod 21 from the cylinder 22 rotates the manifold A clockwise as shown in FIG. 1 whereupon a strap 17 joining the lower end of the arm 17 engages beneath the carrier C, thus to raise the entire apparatus off the ground for turning purposes. It will further be understood that the flame cultivator cus tomarily is mounted on the rear of a tractor.

Pivotally mounted adjacent the lower end of the rearward section 12 of the carrier C is a ground engaging member such as a skid shoe 23. The skid 23 is provided with a pair of upstanding lugs 24 to pivotally receive a pin 26 which is welded or otherwise secured to the lower end of the section 12.

Secured to the sides of the section 11 of the carrier C are vertical socket members 27. The socket members 27 receive depending standards 28. At the bottom of the standards 28 are horizontal members 29 which carry brackets 31 to which, in turn, are mounted the burners indicated generally by the numeral 32. The burners are supplied with fuel through flexible hoses 33 which are connected into the manifold A, fuel being supplied to the manifold A from a tank, not shown.

From what has been described it will be seen that viewed in plan the entire length of the carrier C lies in a common plane. However, viewed in side elevation it will be apparent that an imaginary line drawn from the lowermost to the uppermost portion of the carrier C passes approximately through the mid-point of the horizontal portion 11. Thus, such line passes substantially through the center of gravity of the carrier C as well as approximately through the center of gyration of the carrier C. Therefore, when the apparatus is moved over the ground the carrier has no tendency to wobble or gyrate relative to the skid or shoe 23. Furthermore, since theburners are mounted on the horizontal portion 11 and since we have eliminated the tendency to gyrate, the burners thus are capable of accurate positioning so that the flame reaches the exact point desired relative to the crops being flamed. Still further, we have greatly simplified the brackets for attaching the burner holders to the carrier C inasmuch'as they can be simple collars welded or otherwise afiixed to the sides of the carriers. It will further be understood that the members 28 are held in vertical adjustment in the collars by means of set screws 34, that the horizontal members 29 likewise are adjustably mounted to the lower ends of the members 28 and that the burners are adjustably mounted on the brackets 31. Therefore, the burners can be moved in and out, up or down, and tilted relative to the horizontal,

0 giving all around, universal adjustment.

it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not i I What we claim is:

A burner carrier for flame cultivators comprising a (a) a unitary length of tube all sections of which lie in a common plane embodying an upwardly directed forward end section,

(b) a generally horizontal central section,

(c) a downwardly directed rear section, the relative length and relative angular relation of said sections being such that as viewed in side elevation a line drawn from the extreme ends of the carrier passes approximately through the center of gravity of the carrier as a Whole,

(d) a ground engaging member connected to the carrier adjacent the rear end thereof,

(e) burner mounting means on the central section of said member, and 7 (f) a tow connection for the carrier connected adjacent the upper end of said forward end section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,327,204 McLemore Aug. 17, 1943 2,487,353 McLemore Nov. 8, 1949 2,569,194 Poole et al. Sept. 25, 1951 2,904,032 Stanton Sept. 15, 1959 

